Fuel-preheating attachment for internal-combustion engines



sept. 1e. 1924. 4 51,508,943,

l.. T. slcKA y FUEL PREHEATING ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL C OMBUSTION ENGINES filed Jan. 2, 192s 2 shears-sha1.;

Sept. 16 1924.

L. T. SICKA FUEL PREHEATIING ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 sheets-sneu 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1923 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES LOUIS T. SICKA, OF BONNE TERRE, MISSOURI.

FUEL-PREHEATING ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application led January 2, 1923. `5Sera1 No. 610,121.

To a-ZZ wzom'z'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIS T. Siena, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bonne Terre, county of St. Francois, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Preheating Attachments for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

`This invention relates to fuel preheating attachments for internal combustion engines and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character which may be readily attached to carburetors of various types in general use for the purpose of heating the cold liquid fuel before it enters the engine cylinders so that when mixed with a limited amount of cold air a combustible mixture easily ignitible will be formed, thereby -producing the desired power imp 'ulse against 'the engine piston and thus enabling the cold engine to be quickly started. y

My present vinvention comprehends an attachment for carburetors of the above character wherein there is embodied an electrical heating unit for the fuel completely submerged inthe liquid fuel sothat the fuel will be quickly heated in ample volume to insure the quick starting of the engine with the consumption of a negligible amount of electric current. y

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a preheating attachment for liquid fuels which consists of relatively few parts of very simple construction, reliable and positive in the performance of their respective functions and which may be produced and sold at comparatively small cost.

lith the above and other objects in view, the 4invention consists in the improved fuel preheating attachment for internal combustion engines and inthe form, construction and relative arrangement Iof its several parts as lwill be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. j Y Y In'the drawings wherein I'havel illustrated one simple and -practical embodiment of ilthe invention and in which similar reifer- `ence characters `designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 vis la 'vertical sectional view through the attachment showing the essenits threaded shank `more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, 'for purposes of illustration, I lhave shown the fuel preheating attachment in the'present instance as including a cylindrical shell -or casing 5 which may be formed of cast ymetal or of other suitable material, said shell being open at one of its ends and internally threaded as at 6. The other or closed end of the casing is provided centrally thereof with an opening 7. At the outer end of this opening the bottom face of the shell or-casfing is provided with an annular recess 8 lto receive a disc 9 of insulation material. A similar insulating disc 10 is also engaged upon the upper face of the bottom wall off the casing. The opposite faces of this wall are formed with the countersinlr's or beveled edges 11 surrounding the opening 7.

A terminal screw 12 is disposed through the opening 7 and is provided at one end of with the conical or beveled head 13. It Zis understood of course that each of the insulation discs '9 and 1'0 has a central opening therein registering with the opening 7 for the purpose of receivingthe terminal screw. Upon the screw shank a nut 141 is threaded and has a beveled face 15. lThis beveled face engages the lower insulating disc 9 around the opening therein and forces the-same yupwardly into fluid-tight contact against the countersink 11 at the lower side 'of the opening 7.` At the same time, the beveled or conical :head 13 'of the terminal screw is drawn -downwardly against the edge of the opening in the insulating disc 10 which isthus simultaneously Vclamped 'in iiuid tight engagement against the other countersink 111 at ghe up;

per end of the opening 7. Thus the opening through Vwhich the 'terminal screw is disposed is rendered leak-proof. The nut 14 may be securely heldin its adjusted position by a suitable vlock nut 16 threadedupon for the purpose of securely fastening the,

end of an insulated current supply wire Y 18 to the terminal screw 12.

The other or openvend ofthe shell or casing 5 is adapted to be'closed by a suitable head 19 having a reduced threaded portion for engagement with the internal thread 6 on the casingwall. In the chamber' of the casing 5, an electrical-heating unit is enclosed. In the illustrated embodiment of vthe invention, this heating unit is shown in the `form of a resistance wire 2O of suitable gauge, one end ofl which terminates ina coil Awhich is seated and suitably fixed in a circular groove or channel 21 formed in the lower face of the head 19. At its other'end the heating element 2,0 terminates in an angular extension 22 'whichis engaged in a diametrically extending groove 23 formed in the4 upper surface of the conical head 13 of the terminal screw 12. I have shown this screw at its lower end provided with a flattened face 24 to which a suitable wrench may be applied for the purpose of holding the screw in a neutral position during the assemblage of t-he several parts of the heater. Y

The casing head 19 is formed with a central upstanding shank or boss 25 which is exteriorly threadedy as at 26 for direct con- -nection to the carburetor or to a pipe lead ing therefrom. The head 19 is formed with an axial bore or `opening 27 extending through the shank 25 said opening at its lower end preferably being flared or gradually increasing indiameter, as indicated at 28. iBetween the head 19 exteriorly ofl its threaded portion extending within the casing and the upper edge of the casing wall, a packing gasket 29 Vis preferably disposed. I-Ioweveiyif the faces of the head and the Aupper edge of the casing wall are accurately machined, this gasket maylbe omitted. 1

'In Figure 3 ofthe drawings I' have shown the attachment appliedA to a carburetor Vof the type used in the Ford automobile. The

float chamber30 is provided' at its lower end withy a threaded opening in whicha drain cock is engaged. In attaching the heater, this drain cock is removed and the shank or boss 25 is threaded into the opening 31. The needle valve 32 regulates the flow of fuel to the outlet of the carburetor which is connected to the intake manifold of the engine. In the use of my invention in connection withl this type of carburetor, a tube 33 is employed,y one end'of said tubeextending ,into the needle valve opening of the carburetorandthe other end of the tube eX tending downwardly through the opening 27 in the'head of the heater casing. It will be .noted that'this tube is of somewhat smaller .external diameter than the diameter ofthe from the float chamber of the carburetor downwardly through said opening and fill the heater casing or shell. Thus, the electrical heating element will be entirely surrounded by or submerged inthe liquid fuel. The supply of current through wire 18 to the terminal screw 12 and the heating element 20 may be controlled by means of a suitable push button, either hand or foot operated, so' thatv the supply of current willbe automatically cut off when pressure is released. As the liquid fuel contained in the-shell or casing 5k is heated, it rises through the tube 33 and f float chamber is controlled by a regulator 35 and the measuring pin or needle valve 36. In attaching the preheating device, the drain cock below the casingof the feed regulator is removed andthe boss 25 on the head of the heater casing is threaded into the drain cock opening.` In this case the tube 33 shown in Figure 3 ofthe drawings is not employed, but the heated fuel from the casing rises throught-he opening 27 and is replaced by the colder fuel lowing'into said casing from the. float chamber. The passage of the heated fuel into the outlet and hence vto the intakemanifold of the engine is controlled'in the usual manner vby the regulator pin 36. Y

types of'carburetors, the invention is also applicable aswell to various other makes of carburetQrs, though such other applications may necessitate minor changes in order to properly connect the heater casing with ,the source of fuel supply. If desired, the shell or casing of the heater may be provided with a threaded opening ata suitable point to which a fuel supply pipe can be connected, so thatthe entire area of the opening 27 is available Vfor the discharge of the heated liquid fuel. It will also be understood that if desired, the heater casing may be provided with a drain' cock, the location thereof depending upon theposition of the heater relative to the carburetor or the arrangementV of the vpiping connecting the heater casing with the source of fuel supply. Y

From the above description considered in lseveral advantages of theinvention will be readily .understoodV l The preheating device which consists of relatively few parts of vsimple construction, can be manufactured and sold as an automobile accessory for use in connection with various types of carburetors now commonly employed upon motor trucks or other automobiles at comparatively small cost. The screw l2 and the head 19 of the heater casing in addition to constituting terminals for the coiled electrical heating element 20, serve to maintain this heating coil in accurate coaxial relation with the casing with the desired clearance between the convolutions vof the coil and wall of the casing. The heating efficiency will therefore be very high due to the fact that the heating element is entirely submerged in the liquid fuel which gravitates into and completely fills the casing or shell. As this body of fuel becomes heated, it expands and rises from the heater casing through the opening 27 and finally passes throuoh the intake manifold to the engine cylin ers. The consumption of electric current for the proper operation of the heater is merely nominal and for short periods only. It is not necessary that the rate of consumption shall exceed that ordinarily required for lighting purposes when the vehicle is operated at night, so that the battery will not be rapidly exhausted. Tests of the device have shown that in the operation of the heater, only about ten amperes for a period of 15 to 45 seconds from a six volt battery in moderately cold weather is necessary in order to heat sufficient liquid fuel to start the engine of the Ford or Hudson automobile. The heater will remain quite hot for several minutes after the supply of current is shut off, and such heat will be given olf to the liquid fuel consumed by the engine, thus resulting in the proper operation or functioning of the engine without back-fire such is commonly incident to the starting of a cold engine with cold fuel.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the fuel heater which I have found to be very satisfactory in actual operation. It will nevertheless be apparent that the same principles might be exemplified in heater constructions differing in the form, proportion and arrangement of the several elements from that herein described and as may be necessitated in order to satisfactorily meet conditions peculiar to the particular adaptation or installation of the device. Accordingly, it is to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in structural detail as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. A fuel pre-heating device for internal combustion engines comprising a casing to receive the liquid fuel, a detachable head closing one end of said casing, an electric terminal member centrally mounted in the opposite end wall of the casing and insulated therefrom, an electrical resistance coil enclosed within said casing and having an end coil thereof permanently attached to said head whereby the head and said resistance coil may be removed as a unit from the casing, and said coil at its other end having means for removable engagement with the terminal member.

2. A fuel pre-heating device for internal combustion engines including a cylindrical casing to receive the liquid fuel, a head having detachable threaded engagement in one end of said casing, an electric terminal member centrally mounted in the other end wall of the casing and insulated therefrom, said terminal member including a part within the casing provided with a groove therein, an electrical resistance coil enclosed within said casing and having one end thereof permanently fixed to said head whereby the head and coil may be removed as a unit from said casing, said` coil at its other end having an angularly disposed part for removable engagement in the groove of said terminal member, said part when engaged in said groove retaining said resistance coil in concentric relation with the casing.

3. In combination with a carburetor for internal combustion engines, a fuel preheating attachment therefor including a fuel receiving casing having a fuel inlet connection at one end adapted to be engaged in one wall of the carburetor fuel chamber, an electrical resistance coil enclosed within said chamber and having a terminal fixed in the other end wall thereof, said resistance coil extending substantially the full length of the casing and fixed at its other end to said head, and an outlet tube for the heated fuel exten ding through the fuel inlet opening of said casing and connected to the needle valve opening of the carburetor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invent-ion, I have signed my name hereunder.

LOUIS T. SICKA. 

